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In a vote of 8 to 0, Suffolk City Council approved a motion to schedule a public hearing to receive feedback on a code amendment for two Cypress borough voting precincts.

The vote follows the council’s work session on Thursday, April 3, that same day. During that session, they observed a staff report discussing the boundary amendment for both voting precincts: John F. Kennedy Middle School and First Baptist Church. City Manager Albert S. Moor II provided background on the original request during the meeting.

“At your July 19, 2023, City Council meeting, a motion was made to direct myself to bring back a report from [the] registrar to amend the boundaries of the voting precincts to place all residents of Lake Kennedy neighborhood into the John F. Kennedy Precinct effective after the Nov. 2023 general election.”

Deputy City Manager Kevin Hughes provided a staff report to the council, noting that the request follows interest related to the Lake Kennedy neighborhood.

“The request was, ‘Can we look at bringing that line in a different direction, so the Lake Kennedy neighborhood can all vote at JFK versus splitting it where the southern section currently will vote at White Marsh and the northern section will vote at JFK,” Hughes said.

Hughes presented the current numbers for both precincts, with 2,651 voters for John F. Kennedy and 1,164 for White Marsh. The presentation’s map highlighted 371 voters, encompassing Lake Kennedy and Eagle Landing neighborhoods.

“If we were to modify and bring that line further down to one of the trails into the swamp and bring those neighborhoods in, that would impact 371 voters,” he said.

Hughes detailed that impact would provide a new number of 3,022 for JFK with 793 at White Marsh, saying that both are an “acceptable” number and must be 500 to keep a precinct whole.

The Council’s public hearing for the amendment of Chapter 26-2(c) is set for Wednesday, May 15, at City Hall.